Thoughts on the USCCB Guide to Social Media

Overall, I think it’s a great step for the USCCB and will prove very helpful in educating and introducing Social Media to so many in the Church who are just starting to use it. The guide also offers a lot of sound advice for all of us who use Social Media. It should be required reading for every church employee. And it can be read in about 10 minutes.

One of the most important points I think they hit on was this:

“Users of social media expect site administrators to allow dialogue, to provide information, and to acknowledge mistakes. [...]

Social media’s emphasis is on the word “social,” with a general blurring of the distinction between creators of content and consumers of content. Many communication experts are describing the adaption of social media as a paradigm shift in how humans communicate.”

This is such an important point. I know a lot of diocesan officials who are very hesitant to jump into using Social Media because they are looking at it through the lens of the old paradigm of traditional media. It’s a different world with different uses and different expectations. And the longer we refuse to adapt, the longer we are being left out of the conversation.

Here’s another really excellent point that the USCCB makes in the document:

“The key question that faces each church organization that decides to engage social media is, How will we engage? Careful consideration should be made to determine the particular strengths of each form of social media (blogs, social networks, text messaging, etc.) and the needs of a ministry, parish, or organization.”

So many parishes and ministries just have a Facebook page. Or they have a Twitter account. They have a website. Just because it’s the cool thing to do. Twitter is an amazing tool. It might be the absolute wrong answer for your ministry. You can’t build a house by simply having a bunch of tools. You’ve got to know which tool to use and when and how to use it.

There were also a few things that I think could be improved in the document.

For instance, I wasn’t sure what to make of this paragraph:

“Topics that are in current debate will generate more comments/responses. These include issues in which the Church’s teachings are often in contrast to some popular positions (gay rights, abortion, immigration reform, health care reform). In other words, the Church’s social justice teachings, including the pro-life aspects of those teachings, often elicit unfavorable comments. Some people determine that those topics will not be engaged with on official sites. Others provide guidance on how to engage in dialogue around these topics.”

The line “Some people determine that those topics will not be engaged with on official sites” is what bothers me. I don’t think the USCCB is discouraging discussion on hot topics, but it seems like they are okay if you don’t. Maybe I am misreading that. But in my opinion, we need to be encouraging such discussion, in general. The document does go on to provide some “rules to the road” when doing so - which is very positive and helpful.

This goes back to my point above regarding the paradigm shift in how we communicate and engage the culture. Just as the faithful expect to hear a priest preach on important issues from the pulpit, they even more so expect to hear the Church discussing these issues and engaging people online. If we are afraid (i.e. choose not) to discuss these topics, then what are we doing? We’re the Church, not a self-interested political campaign scared we might accidentally let the truth slip out. We have nothing to be afraid of. People expect us to be willing to engage on the most important issues. Let’s equip the Church to do that. And let’s go do it.

And then this statement I thought was a bit too strict and could be more helpful:

“Don’t cite others, post photos or videos of them, link to their material, etc., without their approval.”

In the Social Media world, citing and linking to others without their explicit approval is not only fair game, it’s encouraged and understood as part of the common language. It always catches me off guard when I have people ask me permission to simply link to one of my articles or resources. This is not necessary. The answer is Yes. And even if I didn’t want you to, there really isn’t anything I could do about it. It would be like telling the man on the corner he isn’t allowed to talk to others about your lemonade stand.

Videos and photos are slightly different. If they are photos and videos you made, it’s a good idea to make sure any people in the video are okay with you posting them online. And if it involves minors, there may be diocesan restrictions you need to be careful of.

What the USCCB document needs here is an explanation on what is called “fair use.” “Fair use” is what allows us to legally use a lot of great content on the web without having to ask for permission first. It’s not that we don’t want to ask permission, it’s that it is too prohibitive to the conversation to constantly do so. “Fair use” has made our experience on the web orders of magnitude richer. This is, for example, what allows anyone to copy and use a “quote” from some other work in a work of their own. If you follow some fairly easy guidelines while doing so, you can do this without ever needing to ask permission. The same applies to images and videos. But you need to know the rules, first, so you don’t get into any copyright infringement issues. Also, a lot of media (photos, audio, video, etc.) are released under various licenses made to make their use even easier. Learn about these licenses.

The answer to this particular challenge is to learn about licensing and “fair use”. Respect everyone’s original work. Then go out and use the web to its fullest potential.

All in all, I was excited to see this document posted by the USCCB. I hope everyone reads it. And I hope it is just a first step of many more things to come from the USCCB and its leadership on this very important aspect of the New Evangelization.

Comments

First quote I took as some are going to close the
Comments section so discussion will be elsewhere. Also, not
Many will discuss on official site but will elsewhere.
Some are too strict with rules while others have none.

Posted by Ken Jacquier on Friday, Jul 23, 2010 1:31 PM (EST):

Thanks for the concise and relevant discussions about the church engaging in
social media. A combination of respect for church teachings and tradition blended with the innovation that Matthew articulates is very powerful. It is exciting to see the power of technology put to good use.

Posted by stella on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 11:08 PM (EST):

in reply to Brandon Vogt. your reasoning is good. Let’s hope for the best and that lukewarm catholics will become more fervent and that non catholics will be converted to the one and only Holy Mother Church.

In Christ’s

Posted by Brandon Vogt on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 10:08 PM (EST):

Stella: The Church has always had a history of plunging the Gospel into places filled with “profanity and attacks on the Church”. Jesus strategically chose to meet with the social outcasts of his day, dirty prostitutes, vulgar pagans, and crude tax collectors. St. Paul took the Gospel to many groups who were deemed unclean. Routinely he took the movement of Jesus to places where he was assured of attack.

In the modern world, no place is in more desperate need of evangelization than the Internet, yet no other locale offers such promise. For my generation—20 and 30 somethings—the Internet is where a huge majority of non-Christians reside. It is a modern-day Areopagus. Where else are you going to be reach un-churched young adults?

Through experience, I can confirm that non-Catholics generally don’t read the newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets of the Church. As during the explosive age of the Church, we can’t wait for them to come to us—we must go to where they are, and they swarm around social media.

I sincerely believe that in today’s world, intentionally rejecting social media is an intentional rejection of a huge part of the New Evangelization.

(For more exploration of your social media reservations, check out this video by Fr. Robert Barron: http://tinyurl.com/2d3tv22)

Posted by Diane D'Ottavio on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 8:00 PM (EST):

finally, a list of well thought out media options for family and friends. Rather than just taking our chances at the movie theater which happpens so much of the time. And I know this will cause a backlash of rumble, since it is put out by the Catholic Church as only a suggestion. nOt a list of difinitives. So we are capabable of making up our own minds afterall. Unlike the public relations movmement with the Hollywood star machine, Cranking them out and get them sold at any cost, regardless of the damgage it does to the soul of the one who is watching it. I personally miss the days of love stories and Carey Grant and Randolph Scott and the rest. Doris Day, and Dan Dailey, and I could go on forever. It was good wholesome viewing, but I am sure some HOllywood moguel will find something wrong with them. I will keep my little day dreams, thank you.

Posted by stella on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 7:52 PM (EST):

I do not know or understand what is becoming of the Church. Maybe I am old fashined, traditionalist but with these face book, twitters, etc many unpleasant things can happen. Profanities, attacks to the church etc. The Church should continue to use the newspapers, catholic magazine, pamphlets to inform the catholic communities of what is going on in the Church. I agree with Brandon Vogt’s parish. I have been asked by some friends and priests to join face book, twitter but the answer is always no. We can evangelize by being the salt of the earth with good deeds, works of mercy, charity etc. I do not need to sociliaze thru the internet.

I was very pleased to see this information posted by the USCCB. It offers some clarity about social media and some helpful insights for Catholic organizations, parishes, and dioceses who need to develop their own social media guidelines. While it suggests components for these guidelines—it leaves considerable thought and work to the individual organizations. Hoopefully, in time, we will have actual examples to review.

Posted by Matthew Warner on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 4:41 PM (EST):

I agree, Angela!

And thanks, Brandon. Good point on the “content” aspect of social media. And ditto on these rules needing to continue to remain updated and current.

Posted by Brandon Vogt on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 3:07 PM (EST):

Great, fair-handed overview of the document. I share many of your same excitements and concerns. My Diocese is extremely tight when it comes to the social aspect of New Media—they disallow Facebook pages/groups with comments, and they reject all blogs, period—so it was good to see that the USCCB has more progressive language in their document. I’m hoping to point to this when discussing it with our Diocese Communications Office.

Also, in regard to the “fair use”, I think the USCCB missed the reality that the “social” in “social media” doesn’t only refer to the user, but also to the content. Social media not only unites people, but it spread content into community.

Many Dioceses, including mine, published social media guidelines before this set from the USCCB was published. I would love to see these Dioceses review their own policies in light of this document. New media is changing daily, so our New Media policies can’t afford to remain stagnant.

Posted by Angela Santana on Thursday, Jul 22, 2010 2:37 PM (EST):

Fantastic over/re-view, Matt. I’m excited to see this document released, and I hope all champions of Catholic new media will help their diocese to engage these ideas.

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About Matthew Warner

Matthew Warner is a lover of God, his wife, his kids, his life, cookies, hot-buttered bread, snoozin' & awkward (as well as not awkward) silence.
He is the founder and CEO of Flocknote, the creator of Tweet Catholic, a contributing author to The Church and New Media book, and writer/founder at The Radical Life.
Matt has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship. He and his family hang their hats in Texas.